One-way clutches are used in power transmission applications where torque is to be transmitted in one rotational direction, but not the opposite direction. This is achieved through the use of inner and outer races which contain the components of a ratchet mechanism. One of the races contains several pawl mechanisms which are forced into engagement with ratchet teeth on the opposite race. Both races rotate at the same speed when rotating in one direction. Freewheeling, or overrunning of the ratchet teeth, is permitted when rotating in the opposite direction, and torque is not transferred.
Referring to FIG. 1, a prior art one-way clutch includes an outer race 12 that houses a plurality of pawls 16 that engage ratchet teeth 18 of an inner race 14. The one-way clutch also includes engagement members 20 that urge the pawls 16 away from the outer race 12 and into engagement with the ratchet teeth 18. The contact surfaces 28 and 44 of the pawls 16 and the ratchet teeth 18, respectively, are flat for conventional one-way clutches. This results in a small area carrying a significant portion of the load, leading to high stress. To lower or mitigate this high stress, some designs incorporate a large number of pawls to reduce the stress on each pawl or include relatively large pawls to limit wear due to the stress. However, such designs are relatively expensive, relatively complex, or both. Therefore, a need exists for a one-way clutch design with components designed for improved load distribution.